Lesson #2 Recognizing what you don't know

My first trip to Haiti was so that I could pass on my knowledge about teaching to about 20 Haitian teachers.  I was armed with books, markers, paper and exciting teaching supplies.   On the first day I realized that teachers were just not as excited about my lessons as I thought they would be.  It didn't take long for me to realize that my teaching strategies just didn't make since to them.

That night in bed I prayed all night.  I asked many things and at the top of the list was "Why am I here?"  I explained to God that they just don't understand anything I am trying to teach them.  I cried out to him asking what I was suppose to do?  In the early morning before the sun came up and before the roosters started crowing outside my window, I once again reminded God that these teachers were like beginning teachers.  No, they were even farther back than that.  They were like those college students that really don't know any more about teaching than it is a desire in their heart.  God said to me, "Then start them at the beginning.  What did you learn in the beginning?"  

Well, I probably wasn't the best student in college, but I do remember learning about Bloom's Taxonomy and the levels of thinking.  Yes, that is it!  These teachers teach at the knowledge level only.  I got up around 4 o'clock so that I could get on the computer in the office.  I added a couple of slides to my PowerPoint about the levels of Bloom's Taxonomy.  

All of the teachers arrive, take a seat and look at me with blank faces.  I could almost hear them thinking, "I hope she says something that makes sense today".  I nervously started talking about the levels of knowledge and thinking.  I wish I could tell you what all I said, but I firmly believe I was just saying what God placed in my mouth.  Teachers began to sit up.  I saw some smiles.  Excited conversations among the teachers and my translator would sometimes go on for 15 minutes.  This information was all new to them, but because they had the heart of a teacher, they recognized this as something valuable.  We spent the next 3 days talking about what I will forever now call "Taxonomie de Bloom".  I added some activities that I had originally planned and together the teachers discussed where these activities fit on Taxonomie de Bloom.  

At the end of my last day each teacher stood and prayed for me.  Then they each told me how much this training meant to them.  With tears, they begged me to come back and teach them more.  They recognized that there was much that they didn't know.     

My lesson:  I thought I knew how to train these teachers because I knew more about teaching than they had.  But, I didn't know what I didn't know.  Praise God, He knew what I didn't know and when I went to him, he had the answer and filled me in.  

John 14:26

26 But the Helper, (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor, Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) the Holy Spirit, who the Father will send in My name, (in my place, to represent Me and act on My behalf), He will teach you all things.  And He will help you remember everything that I have told you.